Vince Wilfork on injury: I signed up for football and knew the risks

Posted by Michael David Smith on October 1, 2013, 6:00 PM EDT

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On the day Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork had surgery to repair his season-ending torn Achilles tendon, he released a statement thanking fans for their support and saying no one needs to feel sorry for him.

Wilfork said he is thankful to have the support of his fans and his wife, Bianca, and that he expects to make a full recovery.

“I just want to thank everyone for your support and encouragement,” Wilfork wrote. “Bianca is making sure I see all of the comments I wish I could respond to everyone. But please know your words are heard. One thing I know is I signed up to play football. I don’t regret anything that has happened and there is no need to feel sorry about it. I’ve been blessed to only have had one surgery prior to today and that was in high school. I know what signing up to play football means and I know the rewards and risks. This is my job and I will switch positions for now and play the role of patient but that is only temporary. I have so much confidence in our team and know that they will do great and I will be right besides them, maybe not in uniform but in all other ways. Thanks again.”

The always classy Wilfork sounds like a man who expects to be ready to play in 2014. The Patriots will miss him until then.

He’s fat and pretty old already, so this might be the end of Wilfork as we know him. I hope not, because he’s a great player – always wished the Bears would have drafted him instead of Tommie Harris that year.

I love the “I know what I signed up for.” Exactly why football will never die like some think. Football provides a way for guys who otherwise would have no shot at college to go to school and get a degree and if they’re lucky make millions of dollars.

Love this guy. Love watching him play. There’s no bright side to something like this, but if it had to happen, at least it happened early in the season giving him a better chance of being ready when the 2014 season starts. Best of luck, Vince!

I don’t give a rip about the Pats, but I saw the play he got injured on. Every other time I’ve seen somebody tear an achilles tendon, they writhe around on the ground like they can’t stand the pain (and I can’t blame ’em). Vince stood there like he had some gas pains. That’s a straight up man right there.

Even as a Dolphins fan , I’ve always had a lot of respect for this guy.
Besides being a longtime stalwart at one of the toughest positions in football , he just goes about the game the right way. I remember a play a few years back where he intercepted a pass off of a deflection and was racing down the field like an oversized fullback. Great athlete , great man.

Ordinarily I don’t make light of injuries, but this player is one of the dirty and most dishonest players in the NFL and there is no way I respect him. Karma bit him on his huge butt and maybe he’ll rethink the dirty way he has played in the past injuring other players out of spite.

The dud has missed just 6 games over 10 years before the other night. Talk about being a man. That’s ten years of playing over 50 snaps a game. That 10 years of taking on double teams over 50% of the time. Again, that’s a man. Kind of ironic that after all that contact playing in the middle of that chaos, he get sideline by some non contact misstep. That sucks.

And what hurts even more is that this guy is a better person than football player. I really hope he stays with the team while he heals. I want to see him in the locker room, and on the sidelines. If he does he will still be a big and important part of this team

great player, but classy? this is the guy who was fined, and suspended for cheap shots. eye pokes, flying forearms to quarterback’s knees, kicking players who were down in the back. the guys play is as cheap as it comes.

If you are a true sports fan, there are certain guys you like even if they are on a team you despise, because if the class they carry and the way they represent the game and they way they treat people. Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Bobby Orr, Akeem Olajuwon, Stan Musial, George Foreman, Gordie Howe, John Havlichek, Arnold Palmer, and, yes, Vince Wilfork

As a diehard fin fan I have to say that Wolfork is a Great player and the type of player I wish the nfl had more of. All the respect in the world to him and hopes for a full recovery. Class act all the way.
You will have the haters on here, but every other team in the league wishes they had you on their team.

GREAT player and tremendous team leader, who is basically irreplaceable on defense. I really hope the Pats medical team, in addition to physical therapy, make certain his weight is carefully monitored and diet supervised closely. He is just about the largest man I have ever seen. He will be forced into inactivity for a prolonged period of time, and if he quickly gains weight, it will impact his ability to heal the tendon, and create other serious problems related to the weight gain. His recuperation will be very complex and challenging. I truly hope he recovers fully and returns to his team and football. He is someone everyone should root for regardless of team preference.

“Ordinarily I don’t make light of injuries, but this player is one of the dirty and most dishonest players in the NFL and there is no way I respect him. Karma bit him on his huge butt and maybe he’ll rethink the dirty way he has played in the past injuring other players out of spite.”

Laserw and I, flounder who the hell are you two talking about? Vince is one of the most respected clean playing players in the game. I cant recall an opponent accusing Vince if anything dirty, but feel free to pop some Imodium ad to stop the diarrhea coming out of your keyboards. And I can honestly say I am completely jealous of the relationship he has with his wife. Those two are a testament to love. I wish me and my wife were as close as they are. A true inspiration. Get well soon big fella. We are all pulling for you.

From a Dolphins and Canes fan, we will always have a love/ hate feelings for you. Your a class act and your talent is unmatched, but then again you do play for the pats. Wish you a speedy recovery big guy, Cane for life!

Wilfork is one of two seemingly indispensable players on the Pats. The last time they lost a seemingly indispensable player, the team rallied and that season ended well. They will miss him greatly, and it may take a while to adjust, but I hope for a similar outcome.